The Terrible Photographer

Patrick Fore
  • 4.6 (33)
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The Terrible Photographer is a storytelling podcast for photographers, designers, and creative humans trying to stay honest in a world that rewards pretending

  1. The Long Middle - Part 3 - The Enemy - How Gatekeeping and Hierarchy Keep Creative Professionals Isolated (And Why We're All Complicit)

    2D AGO

    The Long Middle - Part 3 - The Enemy - How Gatekeeping and Hierarchy Keep Creative Professionals Isolated (And Why We're All Complicit)

    Why does a $600 light get dismissed while a $3,000 light gets respect, even when they produce identical results? Why do wedding photographers apologize by saying “I’m just a wedding photographer”? And why do we hide the work we’re actually doing because it’s not the “right” kind of work? In Part 3 of The Long Middle series, Patrick examines the hierarchies that divide creative professionals, and admits his own complicity in enforcing them. From a tense Zoom call about Profoto versus Godox, to being dismissed in Clubhouse rooms, to looking down on other photographers while feeling looked down upon himself, this episode pulls no punches about how gatekeeping actually works, who it serves, and why we keep it alive. IN THIS EPISODE: The Profoto story: when "professional standards" are actually access standardsWhat gatekeeping actually means (and the Kurt Lewin research that defined it)Why the kitchen brigade system is the perfect metaphor for creative hierarchiesA scene from Pixar's Ratatouille and how it quietly becomes the emotional center of the episodeHow wedding, portrait, and fashion photographers face different versions of the same dismissalThe pattern across all creative fields: writers, musicians, filmmakers, designersPatrick's confession: the times he's been the gatekeeperWhy the hierarchy survives (it's not the people at the top—it's the people in the middle)The Clubhouse dismissals and the Taylor Guitars "cool kids table"How hiding your "wrong" work keeps you complicit in the systemWhat leadership actually looks like: extending an arm instead of pulling it up behind youTHE CHALLENGE: The next time someone asks "What are you working on?"—tell them the truth. Not the impressive version. Not the potential job. The actual work you're doing right now. Say it like it's legitimate work. Because it is. KEY QUOTE: "The hierarchy doesn't survive because the people at the top enforce it. It survives because the people in the middle enforce it. Because we're so afraid of being dismissed, we dismiss someone else first." LINKS: Website: terriblephotographer.com The Newsletter: Sign up for Pub Notes – Musings, updates, and things I probably shouldn't say in public. terriblephotographer.com/newsletter Support the Show: Help keep the lights on terriblephotographer.com/support Email the Host: patrick@terriblephotographer.com Questions, thoughts, rage—I respond to everything. CREDITS • Music: Licensed through Epidemic Sound and Blue Dot Sessions • Written and Produced by: Patrick Fore • Episode Image: Licensed through Adobe Stock

    39 min
  2. Basics, Deconstructed - Framing - Deconstructing Christopher Anderson’s Vanity Fair Portraits: What Every Photographer Needs to Know About Framing Power.

    DEC 17 · BONUS

    Basics, Deconstructed - Framing - Deconstructing Christopher Anderson’s Vanity Fair Portraits: What Every Photographer Needs to Know About Framing Power.

    When Vanity Fair published Christopher Anderson’s portraits of the White House’s inner circle, the internet reacted to the politics. But as photographers, we need to look closer. We need to look at the framing. In this bonus episode, Patrick Fore deconstructs the word "Framing." It’s not just the rule of thirds or leading lines—it’s authorship. It’s the decision to show truth over comfort, and humanity over "hero energy." Patrick opens up about his own struggle with "cowering" to the moment and why we’ve all become a little too good at making the world look beige. In this episode, we discuss: The difference between geometry (composition) and power (framing).Why Christopher Anderson’s refusal to "smooth" his subjects is an act of courage.The "Light Switch" metaphor: How small, boring details tell the biggest stories.How to stop being a decorator and start being an author again.Why being a "Terrible Photographer" means being terrible at following the rules that kill your voice.ABOUT CHRISTOPHER ANDERSON Christopher Anderson is a member of Magnum Photos and is widely considered one of the most influential photographers of his generation. He first gained international recognition for his work documenting the Haitian refugee crisis, where the boat he was traveling on sank in the Caribbean—work that earned him the Robert Capa Gold Medal. Whether he is documenting conflict, the streets of Shenzhen, or the corridors of power in D.C., Anderson’s work is defined by an intense, emotional intimacy and a refusal to provide a "clean" or "commercial" version of reality. Find his work here: Website: christopherandersonphoto.comInstagram: @christopherandersonphotoMonographs: Approximate Joy, STUMP, and Pia.LINKS Website: terriblephotographer.comThe Newsletter: Sign up for Pub Notes – Musings, updates, and things I probably shouldn't say in public.Support the Show: Help keep the lights onEmail the Host: patrick@terriblephotographer.comQuestions, hate mail, and existential spirals are all welcome.CREDITS Music: Licensed through Epidemic Sound and Blue Dot Sessions.Written and Produced by: Patrick Fore

    27 min
  3. The Long Middle - Part 2 - The Costume - Why We Hide Behind Professional Roles

    DEC 16

    The Long Middle - Part 2 - The Costume - Why We Hide Behind Professional Roles

    Why do photographers wear so much black? Why do we feel confident on stage but panic at networking events? And why is it so hard to find real community in the creative industry? In Part 2 of "The Long Middle" series, Patrick explores the costumes we wear—not just the black clothes and gear, but the professional roles and personas that keep us safe and isolated at the same time. From 17th-century Japanese Kabuki theater to APA mixers in San Diego, this episode examines why we choose invisibility, what happens when we need established roles to feel legitimate, and the five-second decision that keeps us from connection. IN THIS EPISODE: The Kurogo: Japanese stagehands who dress in black to become "invisible" on stageWhy confidence comes from established roles (the stage, the call sheet, the contract)A painful story about leaving a networking event after two minutesHow neurodivergence affects ambiguous social spacesWhy fifteen years of mastery on set doesn't translate to confidence at a mixerThe difference between avatars (who have followers) and humans (who have friends)What happens when you choose the beach over the riskTHE CHALLENGE: The next time someone asks "How's it going?"—tell them one true thing. Not "busy." Not "crushing it." One honest thing. Drop the shield for ten seconds. LINKS: Website: terriblephotographer.com The Newsletter: Sign up for Pub Notes – Musings, updates, and things I probably shouldn't say in public. terriblephotographer.com/newsletter Support the Show: Help keep the lights on terriblephotographer.com/support Email the Host: patrick@terriblephotographer.com Questions, hate mail, and existential spirals are all welcome. CREDITS: Music licensed through Epidemic Sound and Blue Dot Sessions. Episode Artwork Photo by @erwimadethis Written and Produced by Patrick Fore NEXT WEEK: Part 3 – "The Enemy" If the Costume hides us, Envy divides us. We're talking about scarcity mindset, comparison, and why we see our peers as threats instead of allies.

    36 min
  4. The Long Middle - Part 1 - The Island - Why Mastery Is Lonely

    DEC 9

    The Long Middle - Part 1 - The Island - Why Mastery Is Lonely

    In January 2007, Joshua Bell—one of the world's best violinists—played a $3.5 million Stradivarius in a Washington D.C. subway station. Over 1,000 people walked past. Only 7 stopped to listen. He made $32. If you've ever felt like you're playing your heart out while everyone walks past... this episode is for you. This is Part 1 of a 4-part series called "The Long Middle"—about that specific season in a creative life where you've mastered the skills, built the business, done everything "right"... but something still feels off. Today's episode is about the loneliness that comes with expertise. The isolation that happens when you get really good at something and realize fewer and fewer people can see what you're actually doing. You're not broken. You're not ungrateful. You're not alone. You're just operating at a level where most people can't witness the craft. IN THIS EPISODE The Joshua Bell Experiment Why one of the world's greatest violinists was invisible in a subway station—and what that tells us about creative loneliness. Sarah's Email A successful wedding photographer who's "disappearing into the work" despite doing everything right. Her story will sound familiar. The Loneliness of Mastery The higher you climb in your craft, the lonelier it gets. Not because you're failing—because fewer people can see what you're actually doing. Three Types of Loneliness Unintentional Loneliness (physical isolation)Deliberate Loneliness (choosing not to explain yourself)Experiential Loneliness (surrounded by people who don't speak your language)The Taylor Guitars Story How shooting a spray robot in a hazmat suit taught me what it feels like to be invisible at the level of expertise. Gratitude as a Weapon The difference between genuine gratitude and obligatory gratitude—and why "you should be grateful" has become one of the most damaging phrases in the creative industry. The Research Studies on senior executives, designers, and creative professionals all point to the same truth: expertise is isolating. It's documented. It's real. You're not crazy. Witnessed vs. Consumed The difference between 10,000 likes and one person who asks, "How did you do that?" Rivers vs. Pools Why fast-moving communities (Discord, social media) provide stimulation but not transformation—and what we need instead. KEY CONCEPTS & FRAMEWORKS Experiential Isolation at the Level of Expertise – The loneliness that comes from operating at a level where fewer people can understand what you're doingThe Seven People Who Stopped – You don't need a thousand people. You need the few who can actually witness the craft.Counterfeit Connection – Why engagement rates and subscriber counts feel like food but provide zero nutritionThe Pool (vs. The River) – Slow, still, deep spaces where you can see your own reflection vs. fast-moving noiseRESEARCH MENTIONED "Lonely at the Top" study on senior executives (2018)Adobe user research – 60% of designers feel misunderstood by non-creative colleaguesThree Types of Loneliness framework – Psychological research (University of Chicago)The Washington Post Joshua Bell experiment (2007)QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE "Gratitude is for gifts. It is not for labor. You don't have to be 'grateful' that the business you built with your own sweat is working." "The higher you climb, the lonelier it gets. Not because you're broken. But because there are simply fewer people at that altitude." "You can get 10,000 likes on a photo and still feel completely invisible. Because those people aren't witnessing you. They're consuming content." "When you're in the Neutral Zone, you don't need a fast-moving river. You need a Still Pool." "Sarah isn't failing. She's not depressed. She's just alone at the level she's operating."WHAT'S NEXT This is Part 1 of a 4-part series called "The Long Middle." Over the next three weeks, we'll explore: Episode 41: How to recognize your people (and why creative friendship is so hard)Episode 42: How to build community without losing your soulEpisode 43: What The Pool actually looks like when it worksIf you're Joshua Bell in the subway right now—if you're doing your best work and feeling completely invisible—email me. Tell me about the work nobody sees. BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT Lessons From A Terrible Photographer is now available as a Limited Collector's Box ($69.99). Includes: Signed hardcover bookSigned photo printField Notes notebookHand-typed letter on my 1920s Corona typewriterAccess to audiobook & ebook (when released)StickersStandard hardback coming January 2026. Get yours: terriblephotographer.com CONNECT Email: podcast@terriblephotographer.com I respond to everything. Seriously. Tell me what bar you just let go of. Tell me about the work nobody sees. Website: terriblephotographer.com Instagram: @terriblephotographer CREDITS Music in this episode from Epidemic Sound and Blue Dot Sessions. Episode photography provided by Benjamin Behre / Unsplash Written, Recorded, Produced & Edited by me, Patrick Fore. EPISODE STATS Episode: 40 Series: The Long Middle (Part 1 of 4) Runtime: ~35 minutes TAGS #CreativeLoneliness #PhotographyPodcast #CreativeEntrepreneur #MasteryAndIsolation #CreativeCommunity #TheTerriblePhotographer #JoshuaBell #WitnessedNotConsumed #ExpertiseIsolation #CommercialPhotography #CreativeLife #LongMiddle #ThePool LISTENER SUPPORT If this episode resonated with you, the best way to support the show is to: Share it with one person who needs to hear thisLeave a review on Apple Podcasts or SpotifyEmail me your story—I read everythingThis show exists because you listen. Thank you for being here. © 2025 The Terrible Photographer Podcast. All rights reserved.

    34 min
  5. The Curator's Disease - The Cost of Turning Your Life Into Content

    DEC 2

    The Curator's Disease - The Cost of Turning Your Life Into Content

    Belle Gibson faked cancer. The Stauffers rehomed their adopted son when the content became too difficult. Ruby Franke is currently sitting in a prison cell. It’s easy to look at the monsters of the influencer economy and think, "I am nothing like them." But if you peel back the layers of how we document our own lives, the difference might be smaller than we’d like to admit. In this episode, we dig into the "Curator's Disease"—the urge to professionalize our own existence. We look at how commercial production techniques have trickled down from ad agencies to our Saturday mornings, how we reverse-engineer our lives to fit a "Lululemon" aesthetic, and the exhausted reality of treating your family like supporting cast members. We discuss the difference between capturing a beautiful moment and interrupting a life to manufacture one. It’s time to get out of the Director’s Chair. In this episode: The Monsters: Why the Ruby Franke and LaBrant Family stories aren't just isolated tragedies, but symptoms of a wider infection.The Lululemon Brain Worm: How commercial "lifestyle" marketing taught us to fake our own weekends.The Composite Client: Patrick breaks down a real commercial shoot to show how "authenticity" is manufactured in a conference room.The Interruption: The critical difference between seeing beautiful light and forcing your kids to stand in it.The Unpaid Internship: Why you’re exhausted from trying to hit commercial production standards on a home-video budget.Connect with The Terrible Photographer: Website: The Terrible PhotographerThe Newsletter: Sign up for Pub Notes – Musings, updates, and things I probably shouldn't say in public.Support the Show: Help keep the lights onEmail the Host: patrick@terriblephotographer.com – Questions, hate mail, and existential spirals are all welcome.Credits: Music licensed through Epidemic Sound and Blue Dot Sessions.Episode Artwork licensed through Adobe Stock.Written and Produced by Patrick Fore

    47 min
  6. Noise in the Shadows - When the Enemy is Competence

    NOV 25

    Noise in the Shadows - When the Enemy is Competence

    June 6, 1944. Robert Capa is wading through the freezing water of Omaha Beach. He captures the most important images of the 20th century, and technically, they are a disaster. They are blurry. They are grainy. They are imperfect. And that is exactly why they matter. In this episode, Patrick explores the physics of light, the "hostage negotiation" of the exposure triangle, and why we are so terrified of grain. We look at how the market has colonized our vision, leading us to trade atmosphere for information and "safe" images for honest ones. Most importantly, Patrick confesses to "art directing" his own daughter's childhood—prioritizing perfect light over real memories—and asks if it's possible to trade competence back for presence. In this episode, we talk about: The story of the "Magnificent Eleven" and Robert Capa’s D-Day photos.The Physics of Light: Why the exposure triangle is a hostage situation.Why ISO is like the volume knob on cheap speakers.The "Cultural Clean": Why Instagram and modern cinema feel so flat.A personal confession: Killing the moment to save the exposure.Why "Denoise" is the enemy of the soul.Support the Show: If you enjoy these ramblings, or if this episode made you feel slightly less guilty about your grainy photos, consider fueling the next one. You can buy me a coffee (or let's be honest, a beer) to help keep the mics on and the existential spirals coming. Fuel the Mess: terriblephotographer.com/supportLinks & Resources: Website: terriblephotographer.comEmail the Show: patrick@terriblephotographer.com — Send questions, thoughts, or hate mail. I read everything.Credits: Episode Photo: Hulki Okan TabakMusic: Blue Dot SessionsSound Effects: Epidemic Sound

    30 min
  7. Basics, Deconstructed - Good vs. Bad - If It Feels Safe, It's Dead

    NOV 20 · BONUS

    Basics, Deconstructed - Good vs. Bad - If It Feels Safe, It's Dead

    In 1863, the Paris Salon rejected Édouard Manet's The Luncheon on the Grass for being too messy, too flat, too "unfinished." Today, it's one of the most important paintings in art history. Meanwhile, the "perfect" paintings that won the medals? Nobody remembers them. In this episode, we're deconstructing the biggest question photographers face: What makes a photo "good"? How do we measure it? Who decides? And why do we keep building portfolios that are technically perfect but emotionally dead? This is the first episode in a new mid-week series called "Basics, Deconstructed" we take the elementary concepts of photography and tear them down until we find the bone. In This Episode: Why technical perfection is the enemy of artThe difference between "High Notes" (sharpness, perfect skin tones) and "Bass Notes" (the blur, the shadow, the grit)What happened when an art buyer tore apart my "perfect" portfolioHow to stop shooting out of fear and start shooting out of soulThe hardest lesson: being shrewd enough to interrupt the performanceKey Quote: "I don't hire photographers to be commercial. I hire technicians to be sharp. I hire photographers to make me feel something." Contact & Support: 📧 Email: patrick@terriblephotographer.com (Questions, thoughts, hate mail—I respond to everything.) 🎵 Music: epidemicsound.com ☕ Support the show: https://www.terriblephotographer.com/support 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terriblephotographer 📬 Newsletter (Pub Notes): https://the-terrible-photographer.kit.com/223fe471fb

    29 min
  8. Still Terrible - A Confession About Fear, Failure, and the Middle of the Story

    NOV 18

    Still Terrible - A Confession About Fear, Failure, and the Middle of the Story

    In this episode, I talk about the question that has been following me around like a stray dog with abandonment issues: “What am I doing wrong?” A late-night Zoom call. A missed phone call that might have cost me a job. Fabric mocking me at 2 AM. Postponing Christmas. Pretending patience is a virtue when really it’s just a financial liability. This one is not a framework or a lesson. It is a confession. A pressure valve. A look at the part of the creative journey nobody posts about because it is messy and embarrassing and makes you question whether you even belong in the room. We get into: Saying yes to work you should have said no toAnxiety disguised as professionalismThe career panic nobody warns you aboutThe gap between what we preach and what we actually doWhat our kids see when we are barely holding it togetherThe tension between craft, performance, and being humanIf you have ever wondered whether you are behind, off-track, or quietly failing your way through your creative life, this episode is for you. Music Provided by: https://www.epidemicsound.com Support the Show If the podcast means something to you, or if it helps you feel a little less alone in this creative circus, you can support the show here: https://www.terriblephotographer.com/support Your support keeps the lights on, the episodes coming, and the midnight fabric-styling breakdowns to a minimum. Thank you for being part of this.

    56 min
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About

The Terrible Photographer is a storytelling podcast for photographers, designers, and creative humans trying to stay honest in a world that rewards pretending

Information

  • Creator
    Patrick Fore
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    44
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Patrick Fore Photography, LLC
  • Show Website
    The Terrible Photographer

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